Denial is a Translucent Curtain
by o.OminiO.o
Summary: Asch/Luke. A year after their return, the fon Fabre boys still don’t get along. “I say they’re in denial.” “You may be right, Master Gailardia, but they might kill you if you say that to their faces.”
1. Panties and the Name Crisis

Neh, sorry to you peoples waiting on my Xiaolin Showdown story, but I'm having a bit of a block when it comes to the beginning of the next chapter.

Anyway, seeing as it's my birfdaiye (spelled like that on purpose), I wanted to write something! And I thought, 'Eh, why not! Asch is totally your fav charrie evah! DO IT!'

So I did.

And yes, this is my version of the ending, because I didn't like the one they made.

Disclaimer: There are way too many girls in that game for it to be mine. And too few guys with shirts like Luke's. Although I do own a copy. Oh, this is going nowhere. I DISCLAIM!

Summary: Asch/Luke. A year after their return, the fon Fabre boys still don't get along. "I say they're in denial." "You may be right, Master Gailardia, but they might kill you if you say that to their faces."

Warnings: Ah, none, yet. Excessive language, maybe, and heterosexuality. The gays don't come 'till later.

o.O X3 O.o

_Flashback _

_"Master Gailardia, the hour grows late. Perhaps we should return?"_

_Guy stood beside his friends, although only some of them. Luke hadn't returned. Natalia, Tear, Anise, Jade, and Guy waited once more at the field. They would not give up on Luke. _

"_Master Gailardia, it has been many hours, many days. I believe your wait will be fruitless."_

"_Thank you for your concern, Noami, but he will return. I know it."_

"_Of course, Master. I apologize for doubting you." Guy's maid/guard/demon curtsied humbly._

_But a miracle was set to happen that night, weeks after the final battle against Vandesdelca Musto Fende. As the group watched the fallen Eldrant, an odd form began approaching them. As it came closer, it became clearer, and was discovered to be two familiar redheads, one unconscious, being carried, the other struggling with said burden. _

"_Hey, you guys waited up for me. Thanks." The conscious one gasped out before collapsing._

"_Luke!" Natalia gasped._

"_Let us return them to Baticul. It's obvious they need the rest." Jade suggested._

"_Yeah. Let's go."_

_Flashback End_

Roughly a year later, and the quiet of morning lazing over the fon Fabre manor in Baticul shattered, due to the shouts of a teen and his replica.

"Why the hell do you insist on wearing my underwear?!"

"Dammit, Luke, why does it matter so much to you?!"

"It's my clothing! What's mine is mine, what's yours is yours, and I'm not about to share _underwear_, of all things, with a stupid replica like you! And why the fuck are you still calling me 'Luke'?!"

"Because it's your name, duh! What else would I call you?!"

"I'm Asch, you're Luke, end of story! And wear your own underwear!"

Guy, perched on the windowsill, sweat-dropped. "Um, did I come at a bad time?"

"Oh, hey, Guy!" Luke waved, completely forgetting he was wearing naught but Asch's undergarments.

"Retard." Asch grumbled. "What are you here for?"

"I'm not allowed to randomly visit friends?"

"Of course you are. Asch is just bitchy because I stole his panties."

"Wh- t- de- PANTIES?!" Asch spluttered.

"Duh, look. They don't even cover my butt, not to mention the bow on the front."

Asch was redder than his hair by this point, redder, even, than the bloodstained "panties" Luke had stolen.

"Kinky." A feminine voice called from a corner of the room. Guy's personal attendant/maid/guard/demon-creature stepped from the shadows, a mischievous glint in her silvery eyes. Luke scrambled to cover himself up with more clothing.

"Naomi! How'd you get in here?" Guy squeaked.

"Hello, did you forget the 'demon-creature' part? I just turned into smoke and drifted in." Her face contorted into an evil, fanged grin. She then 'eep-ed' and blushed. "Excuse my rudeness, Master Gailardia."

Used to his personal attendant/maid/guard/demon-creature's bipolar nature, Guy paid it no mind. He returned his attention to Luke and Asch's fight over the offending underwear. They were shouting again, both dark red, and Luke hiding underneath the blankets.

"Anyway, can you guys get over the underwear issue? Tear, Natalia, and Anise are waiting for us."

"Hah, I knew you didn't just come to visit!"

"Why are they waiting for us?"

"The plan was for us all to hang for a while, then I'd find a way to occupy Anise while you four went on a double date."

"Oh. Can your, erm, servant leave now? I kinda need to change underwear so Asch will get over it."

"I could change into a guy if you wanted me to."

"Seriously?" Luke looked slightly disturbed.

"Yeah." Naomi was serious. She transformed herself, or rather himself, in a matter of seconds.

"No, Naomi, we're just going to leave." Guy walked over and dragged Naomi out the door, despite his protests.

o.O X3 O.o

And there you have it. The teaser/first chapter. Marvelous, no?

Also, any Xiaolin Showdown fans want to give me some ideas for the next chapter in 'You're WHAT!'? I need them.

Review please. My inner self gets sustenance from them, and is a terrible Muse without sustenance.


	2. Demons and Deities

Soooo.... I shouldn't have any excuse for the obscenely long wait, should I? ...Theater practice sucks up way more time than I thought... And so does band... and homework for honors classes... and UIL academics.... *is too damn smart for her own good* So.... Enjoy, please?

Warnings: No new warnings... Oh! Canon rejection explained here, but that's not really a warning...

*epic fails*

o.O X3 O.o

"Hey, Guy, when're we leaving?" Luke called as he bounded out of the room, finally clothed.

"Now, I guess. That all right?"

"LUKE!" Asch's voice burst from the room. "_WHY_ DO YOU INSIST ON WEARING _MY_ UNDERWEAR?!"

Guy rubbed the back of his head nervously. "What did you do this time?"

"What? I was sure these were mine..."

"No, those are MINE! I KNOW you have your own, because now I have to wear them, because YOU keep stealing MINE!" Asch stormed out of the room, death aura strong. "I swear, one more time of this and I will live up fully to my 'the Bloody' title. Do you hear me, Replica?"

Luke squeaked and nodded. Asch could look very frightening when he was in the mood.

"Hey, why don't you guys calm down. This little argument is keeping the girls waiting, and I'm not sure I want to deal with three annoyed women."

"Are you brushing off my underwear as _trivial_?" Asch's death will was turned upon Guy.

'_Oh, hell, this is not good. How can I stop him from blowing up on someone?_' "Um, no, definitely not, not at all, but it does pale in comparison to a few other, very important matters... and, um, I'll just stop talking now, alright? Okay..." Asch's glare was still at full power, boring into Guy like a hot poker.

"Oi, retards, go or I'll fucking make you. This is getting fucking ridiculous. What the fuck is so important about fucking underwear, anyway? Oh! Apologies, Master Gailardia, Master Asch, Master Luke, for my threat and overuse of such vulgar language." Naomi, apparently, experienced a major mood swing/personality switch in the middle of his sentence.

"She's, um, he's right. We need to get going soon, please."

Eventually, with some reluctance on Asch's part (he did NOT want to walk around all day in Luke's underwear and Luke in his), the trio left to meet the girls.

Luke and Tear traveled with interlocked hands, as did Asch and Natalia, but Guy avoided Anise at all costs (she was trying to latch on to his arm, but he would have none of that). They stopped at various points of interest, which took most of the day, and Guy dragged Anise away so the two couples could enjoy the sunset and a nice dinner in peace.

Well, mostly in peace. While the couples were heading home (except Tear, she was staying at the manor), an eerie shriek filled the night air. The four rushed off to investigate.

As the group neared the edge of Baticul, human and inhuman yells, calls, and shrieks increased in frequency. The sounds of ripped flesh and metal, of taken lives, of spilt blood, joined the chaotic orchestra of voices to create the thunderous roar of war. Obviously, the cause of such terrible noise was quickly discovered.

Just outside the city limits, a horde of various beasts were being fought off by the guards. Although the entire force was trying its best to stave off the attack, many were being slain and the horde was advancing. Asch pulled his sword out of who-knows-where, while Tear automatically began casting, along with Natalia, and Luke was left defenseless.

'Damn, why didn't I think to bring my sword!'

'Because you're an idiot. Look, I have a dagger attached to my right thigh. You can fight with that.'

Despite the fact that he had just somehow opened a mind channel to Asch subconsciously, Luke focused on obtaining said dagger to begin his attack. It took him a second to find the cleverly hidden weapon, a second spent feeling all over his original's thigh. Asch paused a moment to allow Luke to safely acquire the weapon, a moment that was too long. A monster flung itself at Asch's face. Luckily, Luke's reflexes were fast enough to slay Asch's attacker in mid-jump.

'Thanks.'

'No problem, but would it kill you to say that out loud?'

'Probably.'

Asch swung his sword at yet another monster trying to tear his flesh.

"There's too many! What do we do!?" Natalia's distressed voice called out.

"We can't retreat. They'll overtake the city." Tear's voice, though notably calmer, held worry.

"Perhaps we could hold them off one at a time on the bridge?" Natalia shouted back.

"Yes. Everyone, retreat to the bridge!"

All fighters followed this order, an order that turned out to be well grounded. The horde had to come at them a few at a time, simple enough for a group of armed humans. Even so, the battle was arduous. Hours after the battle began, the diminished horde fled.

"Whew!" Luke sighed, exhausted. While they all would have liked to collapse then and there, they needed to get home. Asch, Luke, Natalia, and Tear trudged all the way up to the heights of Baticul, dragging their tired feet. Natalia and the other three parted ways at the very top, the princess returning to her castle, the duke's sons and Tear returning to the Fabre manor. Once inside, Tear was led off by a maid to a guest room, and the other two went off to their room. Luke and Asch washed, changed, and slipped into bed as far away as the mattress would allow. They slowly drifted into the abyss of sleep.

'I can't believe I wore his underwear all day…'

o.O X3 O.o

_The voice of Lorelei washed over me, but I did not hear what it said. The deathly pale body in my arms had my full attention, numbing my thoughts and all my feelings. His crimson locks streamed like waterfall of blood trickling down my arms._

"_Luke…" Lorelei's voice was so close, how was it so close?_

"_Luke…" I felt myself fading, fading into Lorelei, becoming one with the sound._

"_Luke!" My eyes slowly opened, when had I closed them? Lorelei's face swam into my vision._

"_O light of the sacred flame, fragment of my soul, savior of Auldrant, what is your final request?"_

"_For Luke to live." I stated simply, my gaze returning to the drained face of my original, the real Luke. I knew what I wanted, nothing more, nothing less._

_I want Luke to live…_

o.O X3 O.o

The breeze blew softly over the roof of the duke's manor, unfelt by the lone figure seated there. Naomi's unseeing eyes gazed over and past the Baticul scenery, her knees pulled up to her chest. She remembered the day clearly, the day Vandesdelca was defeated and the gods stirred. She remembered because it was the first time Shadow had resonated with her. She may have been the earth-bound isofon of the god, but this particular deity deigned to leave her be. But that day… That day was different. All the gods were resonating so strongly that day… the day they brought back the dead for the first time.

o.O X3 O.o

_I was going about my duties as a maid/guard, as usual, nothing special about the day at all. Master Gailardia had barely been back before he was gone, gone to help the Light of the Sacred Flame stop the one who would seize glory and save the Outer Lands. Nothing was different, nothing was strange. Then…I was just dusting his room, keeping it nice and tidy in case he were to return today, but then I got the worst headache, a terrible, aching pain rending through my skull. _

_The voice of Shadow reached me, "I give my power to Lorelei and the Light of the Sacred Flame. I give my power so the hero may have his wish. I give my power for the future of Auldrant." What was happening? _

_My entire body shook, my being flaking transformations constantly. The deities of our world were obviously up to something big. Suddenly, there was a sharp spike in the already incredible energies, then, just as suddenly, it all vanished. I was left gasping for air on the ground._

_What just happened?_

o.O X3 O.o

Well, now she knew. The gods had granted their power to return Luke and his replica to the world. There really was something special about those boys…

o.O X3 O.o

So.... It would have been longer, but.... I really have no transition to get into the next part... and it's longer than the last chapter, anyway. Don't be mean.

Review please. Mabye my inner self/muse will stop cosplaying Roxas long enough to get back into ToA fandom. Hey, worth a try, right?


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